Horizon Labs launches Nebula OS: a lightweight Linux for mixed-reality headsets

Tech · 6 min read

Nebula OS is a new operating system from Horizon Labs built specifically for the constraints and interaction patterns of mixed-reality (MR) headsets. It focuses on low-latency compositor pipelines, power-efficient sensor fusion, and a permission model tailored to spatial apps and privacy-sensitive telemetry.

The OS offers modular stacks for vision processing, hand and eye-tracking, and haptic APIs, allowing OEMs to pick and assemble components for devices with varying compute budgets. Horizon demonstrated Nebula running on an Intel-based dev kit and on a Snapdragon XR platform with optimized GPU drivers and compositor scheduling.

To accelerate adoption, Horizon announced a $25 million Series A led by GV and joined by Samsung Ventures and several AR hardware veterans. The funds will be used to expand firmware partnerships, create developer tooling, and certify middleware from spatial design firms.

Designers working in spatial UI will find Nebula's native scene inspector and live layout debugger useful; the company also released an SDK that integrates with popular 3D tools and Unity. Horizon said the OS will remain open for community contributions but plans to offer commercial support and a certified module marketplace for enterprise customers.